Till Next We Meet
by Makura-Chan
Summary: At age 17 she knew she was going to die and now all she had to do was say goodbye


Till next we meet  
  
  
  
Sunlight filtered in through the white lace curtains of the bay windows that formed a kind of alcove in the relatively square room, spirals of color bounced off the prisms on the windows and hit the white wallpaper with the delicate rose pattern dancing its way across the room. In the north eastern corner stood an old cast iron bed covered in a pale pink and white quilt, at the foot of the bed stood dresser and a little ways off from that the door to the room. On the southern wall stood two white book shelves crammed with books, pictures, CDs, CD player and the old forgotten china doll collection, in between the bookshelves lay an antique desk and white chair. Next to the windows on the floor sat baskets of stuffed animals still keeping a careful eye on their "mommy". On the north Western Wall stood a dollhouse and next to that the door to the walk-in closet, giving the room a childish appearance although its occupant had long since left that point in time. Normally warm and inviting, the room's atmosphere had changed to everyone who knew it and it's mistress, since the accident the room held the smell of death and an air of sadness from the normal laughter and joy it usually rang of. A fit of coughing came from the bed as a young girl around 17 was left breathless and weak. She was tall for her age, and was slender from years of being in so many sports that her medals dotted the walls in an array of colors. She was pretty, with startling green eyes, long honey brown hair that cascaded past her shoulder in gentle curls, her appearance all meshed beautifully together to form a truly breathtaking and heart stopping sight and she was going to die and she knew it.  
  
A week ago she had been out with her friends and there had been an accident, a guy from school had cornered and tried to force himself on her, when she had again refused he pushed her out into on going traffic and she was hit. After being rushed to the hospital and extensive work done the doctors walked down to the waiting area to her family. " Mrs. Kanzaki" the nurse had called the girl's mother out, in the hall the poor nurse explained to her that with all the damage that her daughter received she would be dead by the end of the week. So it was in the girl's best interest to take her home and make her comfortable so she could die at home with those she loved. Her mother barely heard another word before she fell to the green tile floor screaming "it's not true… your LYING… my baby's not going to die, she CAN'T die I need her too much."  
  
So here she was laying down most days thinking and remembering of what was and what could have been. She was not afraid unlike how she pictured she should but it was more of a relief, true she was going to die but she would never feel pain and her eyes had seen so much hatred and sadness that she needed to rest. She would remain as she was now young, innocent… forever 17. But oh how she would miss them, her family, her friends, her place of dreams, and him.  
  
She sighed then remembering… everything, when she first went to Gaea she had hated him, then something changed and she fell deeply in love with Van as he did with her. Then she left but even that couldn't tear them apart, they continued to talk through their minds, they fell more and more in love and she hadn't told him yet. She knew she had to but it was just too hard… too hard to say goodbye.  
  
"Oh Van, I want to see you one last time, so you can understand and don't think I abandoned you too! Who ever took me to Van, send him here one last time please… I want… I… need to say goodbye!"  
  
As the words left her lips a column of light appeared before her and a man with unruly raven hair, deep red eyes was left on the hard wood floor next to her bed.  
  
"VAN!" she cried and held out her arms for him to hug her, which he did.  
  
"Hitomi… is it really you, I've missed you so much!" the boy hugged her close stroking her hair and chanting her name over and over praying she wouldn't disappear like all of his dreams.  
  
"Van, sit down I have to tell you something and its not going to be easy." Hitomi pushed Van back and fell lightly onto her pillow from lack of energy; Van on the other hand just stared at her… something was wrong… he could sense it, was it that had she fallen in love with another?  
  
"Van, first I want to tell you that, I love you and you mean the world to me" Van breathed a sigh of relief… she still loved him and he smiled. " I love you too" he replied leaning down to kiss her but she moved her head so all he got was her cheek.  
  
"Not now Van… a week ago I was in a terrible answer… don't say anything yet love… they said… the doctors said… because of the damage done that…Van… I'm going to… I am…. Van I'm going to die very soon and I asked whoever sent me to Gaea to send you here so I could say… so I could say…" as the distraught girl tried to finish her self appointed task she was cut off.  
  
"NO, YOUR NOT… you can't be… I just get you back, I won't let you, I love you too much, I can't and won't lose you again!" Van cried out and pulled onto his lap cradling her as if she were a child.  
  
"Darling listen to me, I love you too and I'll never leave you as long as you remember me, I can never leave you, I have to die… its my time and I know you don't understand but its my destiny." Cuddling against him for the last time, "My grandmother, told me once that heaven is the happiest time of a person's life and they get to spend eternity there with those they love, so you see we'll meet again and have eternity together!"  
  
"NO, please no… I don't think I can live without you!" the young king sobbed into his beloved shoulder.  
  
"Yes you can… please understand that I want you to be happy when I am gone…go back to Fanelia make her great for me, be happy and please don't be bitter… I… I… love you Van Slanzer de Fanel" those were her last words before her soul left her body.  
  
"Hitomi… HITOMI… come back… please come back" Van wept bitterly the column of light returned to take back the king to his rightful world "No… let me stay… Hitomi… I want to be with you… HITOMI!"  
  
The years past and though it took time Van did smile again and Fanelia became great and powerful, just as she had wanted. He did marry some princess but he didn't love her… his heart stayed true to his first love… to his Hitomi. Most of Gaea knew of the old king of Fanelia's story and pitied him. Seventy years had passed since his love had died, and he too would die soon. He was the last of the Great War heroes alive; the others had been dead for several years now. That night wolves cried as if to let the world know the old King of Fanelia had died in his sleep and to proclaim his eldest grandson the new king.  
  
Van awoke in a valley lush with vegetation and waterfalls but what shocked him most was a girl around 17 sitting on a rock barefoot, with a glittering white gown and honey brown hair pulled back by two silver dragon hair clips. As she turned around to face him, he realized two incredible things first and for most the girl was Hitomi, and secondly that he was no longer bent by old age but tall and straight and he too was 17!  
  
Standing up the girl glided over to him, "Hello Van, I told you we'd meet again." She said softly and kissed him "Welcome to paradise".  
  
  
  
~*~ Fin ~*~  
  
  
  
A/N: Just a quick ficlet, listen to "Legend of the fall" when you read this its soo sweet!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne, come on people I'm still in school I have no money so I really don't anything. 


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